The Vale of Calaat. Plate XXII. Aquatint.
London: William Miller, May 1, 1809. Stunning full hand colored aquatint depicting the Chetzin Calat in the Tigray region of present day Ethiopia (then known as Abyssinia). Three tribal men carrying spears stand in the foreground of a sweeping desert valley framed by rock formations in the distance.
From Henry Salt's best known work, "Twenty-Four Views in St Helena, The Cape, India, Ceylon, The Red Sea, Abyssinia and Egypt", with engravings by Daniel Havell.
Henry Salt was an English Egyptologist, painter and diplomat. Between 1802 and 1806, Salt traveled extensively, from the Cape of Good Hope, to India and the Red Sea. He also went to Abyssinia (Ethiopia) and Egypt, making sketches and paintings and exploring trade and diplomatic ties. Salt was appointed consul General of Egypt, during which time he secured artifacts for the British Museum, carried out research at the pyramids of Giza, and sponsored the excavations of Thebes and Abu Simbel.
Image 25 x 19", paper 27 1/2 x 21 1/2". Very bright and clean, a strong impression. Very good condition. Item #24436
Price: $600.00